Definition
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon, day four - Quinn considers having to tell her parents about the baby.


_Three week Glee hiatus, the horrors! To try and make it go by faster, I decided to do this project. I'll put up one new ficlet every day (I hope...) up to the day Glee returns! So be on the lookout! :)_

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**"Definition"  
(Quinn, some Puck/Quinn hints)**

"I'll drive you home," Finn was telling her as she finished lacing up her sneakers, having changed back into her uniform after Glee rehearsal. She reached to remove the clip in her hair and form up a ponytail. She could feel him looming behind her.

"No… I…" she sighed and shook her head. "I'm okay, I swear," she turned her head toward him, though their eyes wouldn't meet.

"Are you sure?" he took a step forward. Quinn stood and turned to face him as she folded up the black pants and white shirt. He held out her open bag for her and she smiled, stuffing the clothes in.

"I'm okay, Finn, I… I'll be fine. I'll call you tonight." After a moment more, he stepped up to hug her and walked away, leaving her alone to gather up the rest of her things.

She knew why he didn't want to leave her… part of her had wanted him to stay. But she needed to think…

How many of them had found out yet? How many had read it, how many had been told? Did they laugh, did they whisper?

She grabbed her bag, slipped the strap over her shoulder and started toward the exit.

They probably thought it was hilarious. The queen of the celibacy club and her little "accident…" If it was happening to someone else, she'd be laughing along with them… But it was happening, to her… Of everyone who was now or would later comment about her… none of them would come close to the contempt she could manage to hold over herself.

Her parents…

That was the part that worried her most. Kids were mean, but parents… They had a power, to look you in the eye… the people you've loved the longest… and say, with that one look… "I'm ashamed of you." And no matter what came after that, no matter how much time passed, it would still be there.

For a few days now, she'd been having the same nightmare, imagining her father barrelling down the halls of McKinley High… Eight feet tall and all of a sudden she was three feet tall.

Her father wasn't a bad man… but his shame worried her most of all. Every time he'd look at her, give her a pat on the arm, hug her… She treasured the moments… in the event they were the last ones.

Her mother, well… She didn't have the same concerns for her. They were similar to a point. Quinn had spent her life trying to be like her. What if this changed her?

Finn hadn't told his mother yet, as far as she knew, and part of her liked it that way. She'd pulled him into this, and she was starting to wonder what it would mean for him, his life…

When she arrived at her house, she found it empty. In her room, she took out the clothes from her bag. She stared at them for a while before hiding them away with the rest of her glee club costumes. These days, they sparked a flame in her heart… so much brighter than the one created by her Cheerios uniform.

Frustratingly, her mind was filled with Rachel Berry's words, that glee would be all she'd have left once people knew… the worst part was she'd probably end up being right.

Part of her had that far-fetched hope that her parents would understand, that they'd support her, show her love, take care of her like they always had. It almost seemed desperate to hope at this point, but she couldn't help it. She'd been filled with confidence once. Confidence in her place in the world and that she'd get there. Only now…

The phone rang, and she answered it without being so aware of it. "Hello?" she spoke.

"Good, you're home," the voice drew her out of her thoughts, down to frustration and confusion.

"Puck," she sighed. "What are you… Why…"

"Just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"Why wouldn't I be?" she frowned.

"You were crying," he pointed out.

Just then, she heard the door downstairs. She dashed to the window to see whose car was there.

"Quinn?" Puck spoke after a moment. She didn't reply.

It was her father's car… he was home.

"Quinn, you there?" Puck repeated. Once again, she wasn't paying attention. Her father was coming up the stairs to say hello, as he always did.

"I gotta go," she drew the phone back to her ear and spoke rapidly before hanging up, tossing the phone on her bed and walking out of her room to intercept.

After having spoken with her father briefly, telling him about her day – the parts of it she was currently willing to share – she returned to her room, shutting the door as she sighed.

She could feel her heart pounding inside her chest… The idea of telling him made her heart mad with fear, like it knew it was about to get broken.

She wasn't ready, didn't want to be ready, but then she knew… she could never be ready. There would never be a time where it would be alright for her to do what she had to do.

And she couldn't not tell them. Not only for the fact that the information was already out there, being spread further still as time went by… they would figure it out once she couldn't put on her cheer uniform.

She had nowhere to hide. She wasn't one to hide anyway. Maybe they'd go easier on her if she wasn't afraid.

There went that hope again.

As crazy as it could be though, she knew it was her only option. She'd keep her head up high and show everyone she could be strong.

She could be weak… she had been weak. But she'd do her best to stay strong from then on. She had to. None of this was going to be easy, but she knew to be determined.

Puck called again. She didn't speak to him. Her father had answered before she could and, though her father never knew who he was, Quinn could tell it was him from her father's side of the conversation.

Her heart was still hopping along. She had to make the decision.

She'd be strong. And no matter how crazy it could be, she'd trust in hope.

THE END


End file.
